Shadows of a Ranger's Heart
by StephieBear
Summary: Just the story of a girl whose dream is to be the best Ranger ever
1. Chapter 1

"Try your best to capture the Pikachu."

The girl nodded and quickly captured the Pikachu.

"Okay, good going. That's pretty impressive. Hehehe… My name, it is Kaplan. You are now a member of our secret army, the inscrutable Team School. As proof of your membership, you are conferred the School Styler you just used. Together, we shall rule the world…"

The girl's head tilted to the side and her face showed confusion. She heard a door open and close. Footsteps began approaching them and a woman's voice rang through the room.

"Oh, please, Mr. Kaplan! Please don't tease my student with a silly performance like that."

"Ahahaha, sorry, sorry. The timing was just too perfect to miss. Ahem… You have passed the Ranger School's entrance exam with flying colors! That really was quite an impressive capture."

The girl smiled and thanked him. The woman turned to the girl and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Congratulations! You've been accepted. Starting today, you are officially a student of the Ranger School. I'm Ms. April. I'm your class's teacher. I'm pleased to meet you. Your classmates are waiting for you. I'll show you to our class."

The woman led the girl into a large building and to a room.

"Wait out here. I'll let you know when to come in."

The girl nodded and leaned against the wall. She could hear voices from inside the room and listened in.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, class. And good morning, everyone!"

"Good morning!"

"As I mentioned yesterday, we have a new member for our class."

"Is it a guy? Or a girl? Which is it?" a boy asked.

"Is the new student cute? Cool? Or look like a celebrity?" a girl asked.

"Okay, that's enough! You can see for yourself. Here's our latest classmate! Come on in!"

The girl moved away from the wall and went into the classroom. She stood beside Ms. April at her desk and looked around.

"Our new friend came alone to our Almia region to become a Pokemon Ranger."

Ms. April turned to the girl, as if she had just remembered something.

"You should introduce yourself to our class."

"My name is Lianna."

Lianna's voice was very quiet, timid, and shy. She leaned her head down a bit so that her bangs covered her bright green eyes.

"Okay, our new friend is named Lianna. Let's make her feel welcome. I understand that she scored quite well on our entrance exam."

A boy in the front row grinned and leaned back in his chair.

"What is it, Keith? Why the big grin? Anyway, we had better get you seated somewhere, Lianna. You can have the seat next to Keith."

Lianna nodded and sat next to the grinning boy.

"Well, that's it for treating you like a new transfer student. From now on, you're all my students, people whom I can take pride in teaching. Let's do it everyone… Let's not fail your dreams of becoming Rangers, Operators, and Mechanics!"

"**Yeaaah!"**

"Okay, I'll change the class schedule specially for today. This will be a free-study class. Before I go, Lianna, I need to explain something to you."

Ms. April began explaining about the School Styler. Lianna, however, had tuned her out. Her older sister Elita had already told her everything she would need to know. She started listening once more when Ms. April turned to a girl behind her.

"Rhythmi, can I get you to show Lianna around the school, please?"

"I sure will!"

"I'll be in the staff room. I'll leave you to it."

As Ms. April left the room, all of the students crowded around Lianna.

"Hey, new kid, I forgot your name, but how long did it take you to capture Pikachu? Like an hour?"

Lianna's shy demeanor broke for a moment as she growled at Keith. Rhythmi put a hand on Lianna's shoulder and turned her away from Keith.

"Keith's just a show-off. You're better off ignoring him. Instead, you should be paying attention to me. I'm not here to become a Ranger. I want to become an Operator instead. So, when Keith becomes a Ranger, I can order him around like my servant! Just joking! All right, let me take you on a tour of the Ranger School. Let's begin with our own classroom. You've already met our teacher, Ms. April. She's really nice, but if you make her mad…look out. There's another class next to us. The teacher there is Mr. Kincaid. He's very uptight and strict. 'No running in the hallway!' is, like, his pet saying. Come on!"

Rhythmi grabbed Lianna's wrist and dragged her out of the classroom. She took Lianna next door and into the other classroom. When they opened the door, a man looked their way.

"Sorry to disturb you! I'm taking our new classmate on a tour of the school."

Rhythmi turned to Lianna and began to speak in a lower voice.

"This is the other class. The man looking this way is Mr. Kincaid. He gets his hair to go that way with a ton of hair spray. He's a little too uptight, I think. I'm not a big fan."

Mr. Kincaid stepped forward and pointed to the door.

"Out."

"Yes, sir!" the two girls said.

They left Mr. Kincaid's room and Rhythmi led Lianna to another room.

"This is the library. Also known as Keith's nap room. That boy in the back with a haircut like a mushroom is Isaac. He's awesomely smart. You can usually find him right here in the library. Sometimes, he goes off somewhere, though."

Rhythmi took Lianna to another room. Inside, there was Ms. April and an older man with glasses.

"Here's the staff room. But usually, only our principal is here. Our principal is Mr. Lamont. His eyes are always twinkling happily behind his glasses. I like him pretty well."

The two left the room and headed toward two sets of stairs. Lianna started toward the one going down, but Rhythmi stopped her.

"Mr. Kincaid's lab is down there, but we're not allowed down there without permission."

Lianna nodded and went up the other set of stairs.

"Our dorms are up here on the second floor. This is where we all bunk down, coed style. Not in the same bedrooms, of course. The boys' bedroom is on the left. The girls' bedroom is on the right. Janice, the lady there, is our caretaker. She's like a mom to us all."

Rhythmi led Lianna back down the stairs just as a bell rang.

"There goes the bell. We can go outside now."

Lianna nodded and allowed herself to be dragged outside by Rhythmi.


	2. Chapter 2

"That small building is the Training Room. That's where Mr. Kaplan will teach you about performing captures. Ms. Claire is also there. She teaches about clearing targets. That big clearing over there is where we practice doing target clears. That reminds me…do you know about clearing targets?"

Lianna nodded and spoke quietly.

"Yeah, my big sister taught me before I came here."

"Really? Well, that saves us some time. However, I still think you should be properly introduced to Mr. Kaplan and Ms. Claire."

The shy girl nodded and followed Rhythmi. When they got to the door, the heard a woman who sounded very worried.

"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! Help, someone! Anyone! Catch the Bidoof for me!"

They both turned and saw Janice looked around worried. Bidoof were running all around the yard.

"J-Janice?! She's having trouble with the Bidoof! Lianna! Capture the Bidoof and get them to settle down!"

Lianna nodded and grabbed her Styler. Just as she was about to capture a Bidoof, she heard something by the door.

"Heh, I was wondering what the ruckus was all about. Looks like a good time that's up for grabs!"

Lianna looked to the door of the school and saw Keith standing there with a smirk on his face.

"Keith! Don't just stand there! You help with the captures, too!" Rhythmi yelled.

"It won't be much fun if I just help. Hey, new kid! I forgot your name, but I challenge you! We'll have a capture race, you and me! We'll see who can capture the most Bidoof, all right?"

"Can't you make the effort to learn our classmate's name? You can be so annoying, Keith! Go ahead and have your silly race or whatever, but hurry up!"

Keith's smirk grew and he looked at Lianna. She blushed slightly and looked away.

"Well, you wanna do this race or not, new kid?"

Deciding to be louder than she ever head in her life, Lianna yelled her answer at him.

"You're on, Keith!"

Keith's eyes widened momentarily at the volume of Lianna's voice, but he didn't let it faze him.

"Okay, let's get on with it! Three! Two! One! Start!"

The two wannabe Rangers ran around and captured as many Bidoof as they could. Once all were captured, they went to the center of the yard to see who won.

"That's all the Bidoof." Janice told them.

"I caught five! That means you caught…"

Keith seemed stuck on the math for a moment, which made Lianna roll her eyes. When he still didn't get it after 30 seconds, Lianna growled.

"I caught four!"

Keith blinked at her volume once more, but he grinned at the same time.

"You're starting to come out of your shell, aren't you? Wait, you said you caught four? That means victory is mine!"

Janice smiled at Keith's enthusiasm.

"You looked good at it Keith! Of course, I also need to thank our new friend and Rhythmi, too. Thank you all for this. This is a big relief for me. And to the leader Bidoof…I'm so sorry. I really didn't mean to tread on your tail. I'll make it up to you with tastier treats than usual. Come along, everyone."

Janice left the yard with all the Bidoof following her. Keith turned to Lianna with a smirk on his face.

"I'd rate your captures around 65 out of 100."

Lianna growled at him once more.

"Hey, but you know… I'll be honest: I was pretty surprised by how you did. You might be decent for someone who just learned about this."

"I didn't just learn about it. My big sister taught me."

Keith ignored her statement and kept talking.

"You said your name was Lianna, right?"

Lianna nodded as Rhythmi sighed.

"Oh, you, Keith! You knew our friend's name all along! For goodness' sake… Oh! That's right! There's somewhere I haven't shown you yet!"

Keith blinked at the hyper girl and then jerked a thumb over his shoulder.

"What, you mean Ascension Square?"

"Yes!"

"Then I'll go, too."

"Oh, all right. I guess we'll let you come with us. Come on, Lianna!"

Lianna followed Rhythmi to Ascension Square. Keith stayed by Lianna's side the whole time, making the shy girl blush.

"This is Ascension Square. Next month, there's going to be a special class here. It's the Outdoor Class. That monument there is called the Pledge Stone."

Lianna walked over to it, remembering her sister telling her about it. She jumped when she heard Rhythmi's voice right by her head.

"If you make a firm pledge to each other with your friends here, it will surely come true… That's what Principal Lamont told me."

"Yeah, my sister told me the same thing. She loves this place. She says she met all of her closest friends here."

"What's your sister's name?" Rhythmi asked.

"Elita."

"WOAH! Elita's your sister?!" Keith shouted.

"Yeah, why?"

"She's famous in the Fiore Region! The Ranger Leader of Wintown! She's one of the best Leaders in Fiore!"

Lianna blushed, knowing her sister would never react that way to simple compliments.

"And there you have it! That concludes Rhythmi's School Tour of Wonder and Excitement!"

"Rhythmi's School Tour of Boredom and Tears…" Keith muttered.

Lianna giggled, causing Keith to turn his attention to her. To him, at that moment, she looked absolutely gorgeous. He shook his head and erased the thought from his mind. Rhythmi lightly smacked him on the head and went to stand in front of Lianna.

"Lianna! I'm glad to have met you! I hope we can be friends for a long time!"

Keith moved and slid in front of Rhythmi.

"Hey, hold it now! Don't worry about Rhythmi. Be friends with me, okay?"

Lianna giggled once more and a wide smile grew on her face.

"I can be friends with both of you, you know."

Her voice was still quiet with shyness, but Rhythmi could tell it had gotten slightly louder from when they had first met. The bell rang and the three turned their heads to the school.

"Oh, there goes the bell. We'd better get back to class."

Lianna led the way, leaving Keith and Rhythmi time to talk. She lightly bumped his arm and grinned at him.

"Wow, Keith. I never thought I'd see the day when you couldn't take your eyes off of a girl."

"I can totally take my eyes off her."

Rhythmi took notice that even while he said that, his eyes never strayed from Lianna.


	3. Chapter 3

_Elita, _

_This school is absolutely amazing. It's so beautiful here, so scenic. I already met two people who were basically fighting over me so that I could be their friend. They obviously didn't realize that I can be friends with both of them. I also went to the Pledge Stone today. You were absolutely right. It does seem very peaceful and tranquil there. I almost felt a distinct power coming from the Stone. I wish I brought my sketchbook with me. I probably would have already filled half of it with drawings of this place._

_I love you Elita,_

_Lianna_

"Lianna, do you write letters? I'm thinking of writing to my mom and dad about you, Lianna."

"I already wrote to my sister about you, Keith, and the Pledge Stone. She'll probably read it to my little sister, Reyna. Reyna can't really read yet, but she can write some."

"So, you have two sisters? Elita and Reyna?"

"Yeah, they're pretty much twins, except for the age difference, of course. They both have that lavender colored hair and violet eyes. I look nothing like either of them because of my black hair and green eyes."

"Say…let's sneak out for a while."

Lianna and Rhythmi left their room and went out to the main area. Lianna noticed that Keith was there with two other students from their class.

"Thanks for waiting."

"Yeah, kept us waiting, Rhythmi."

"Calm down, Keith. Okay, let's get started with our test of courage to welcome Lianna."

Lianna's eyebrows went up in surprise but she didn't voice a rejection. Keith turned to her with a tiny smile on his face.

"We just want you to prove you're brave. I had to do it before, too. It's no big deal. But, you know, you do have that easily spooked look to you. No offense."

Lianna let out another growl at Keith. Rhythmi, sensing the tiny bit of hostility/rivalry, stepped up.

"The rules are simple. The four of us have hidden our Stylers in four different places in the school. They are: Ms. April's class, Mr. Kincaid's class, the staff room, and the library. Gather all four Stylers, then put them in front of the door to the basement room. It's not hard or anything, but it's also not safe to go alone. That's why we've always had this one rule: the student seated next to the initiate has to go, too."

Keith grunted at the news.

"You mean me…"

Rhythmi clapped her hands once and smiled.

"Okay, you two. Off you go."

They went down the stairs side by side. As soon as they got down there, Keith screamed and rushed to the bottom of the stairs. Laughter could be heard from the second level.

"Wah! Th-there's something there!"

Lianna looked to where Keith was pointing and saw a Bidoof.

"Keith, it's just a Bidoof."

"It just startled me, that's all… You…you were spooked, too, right?"

Lianna rolled her eyes, but smiled at Keith.

"Sure, Keith. I was terrified."

He lightly pushed her because of her sarcastic tone. However, he couldn't help but smile. The thought that she was coming out of her shy shell made him happy, but he wasn't sure why. They first went to the staff room and saw a lone Pichu at the head of the room. Lianna captured it and it dropped the Styler that it had been hiding. Keith grabbed it and put it in his pocket.

"Only three more, right?"

Lianna nodded and the two left the staff room. They went to the library next and Keith shivered.

"The library's scary at night, too… It's as if someone's lurking here…"

Lianna rolled her eyes and turned to Keith.

"Will you calm down? It's not that scary."

Lianna walked to the back of the library and grabbed the Styler that rested on the table. She went back to Keith and gave it to him, leaving the library. Her next stop was Ms. April's class.

"Even our own classroom's kind of creepy at night…"

Lianna searched through the desks and finally found the Styler in her own desk. She gave it to Keith and started to go to Mr. Kincaid's class. She was jerked back when she felt Keith grab her hand.

"Something wrong, Keith?"

"Have you been hearing anything?"

"No, why?"

"I just… Never mind."

He walked into Mr. Kincaid's room and shut the door. Lianna stared after him confused. She followed him into Mr. Kincaid's class and saw him sitting on the desk, holding the Styler with a smirk on his face.

"I already knew where this one was, considering I was the one who hid it. This is the last one. Let's take them down to the basement."

They went down to the basement, where Keith grabbed her arm. She turned and faced him with a puzzled face.

"Something wrong, Keith?"

"Are you sure you haven't been hearing anything?"

"I haven't heard a thing. Have you?"

"It might just be my imagination."

They walked to the door of Mr. Kincaid's lab and Keith gave Lianna the Stylers.

"Plunk down the Stylers here, then we go back to the dorms, and we're done. But hustle, will you? I can't take much more of this…"

There was a slight noise which both Keith and Lianna heard.

"Sssh… Did you hear that?" Keith asked.

Keith got his answer when he felt Lianna's hand grip his. He looked over at her and saw her eyes wide with fright. Keith returned the grip on her hand and moved closer to her. Suddenly, four things came through the wall and showed themselves as Ghastly.

"BWAAAAAH!"

Keith and Lianna both screamed and threw their arms around each other out of pure fright. The four Ghastly floated away but Lianna and Keith kept their grip on each other.

"Oh, it was just Ghastly…"

Keith had just realized that he was hugging Lianna when the door burst open. Mr. Kincaid rushed out, scaring the two Ranger wannabes even more.

"WHO'S THERE?! The basement is off-limits to everyone but myself!"

Keith and Lianna turned to each other and both blushed when they saw how close their faces were.

"RUN!"

Keith released his hold on Lianna but grabbed her hand and ran from the basement. They made it up to the dorms and stopped so they could catch their breath.

"What happened?"

"Rhythmi, Mr. Kincaid was down there! He caught us! He knows we were there!" Keith said.

"Oh, geez! I'm sorry! Well, that doesn't really matter now. Let's get some sleep."

Rhythmi and Lianna both went to their room and laid down to go to sleep.

**~In Mr. Kincaid's Lab~**

A boy with a mushroom shaped haircut stood at the back of the lab.

"Is something the matter, sir?"

"…No, it's nothing. Just a Zubat causing a minor disturbance in the hallway. Incidentally…was that experiment a success? Or was it a failure?"

"It's impossible to say yet. The control systems aren't complete. But, it's only a matter of adjustment now."

"Isaac. I'm counting on you to succeed. Having said that, it is late. Let's call it a night on our research. Insufficient sleep should be avoided."

"I'll return to my dorm, then. Good night, Mr. Kincaid."

Isaac left the lab and returned to his dorm to get some sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

_Lianna, _

_Thank you for writing! And I'm so happy that you got into the Ranger School! I'm also pleased to know that you've already been to the Pledge Stone. One day, you'll get to engrave your dream on there, which will most certainly come true. I also have some news for you. Mom and Dad are talking about moving over there. Reyna was excited to hear from you. You should have seen her face when I read your letter to her. She had the biggest smile on her face. She hasn't been that happy since her last birthday._

_Elita_

"Okay, I have a question for everyone. What day is it today?" Ms. April asked.

"Outdoor Class!"

"Oh, come on, we wouldn't forget about Outdoor Class!" Keith yelled.

"Ms. April! Keith told me he thought up 38 questions to ask the Ranger." Rhythmi said.

"Well, how enthusiastic! Okay, class, let's go outside. We'll gather in Ascension Square."

Everyone left the room except for Keith, Lianna, and Rhythmi.

"Yahoo! I've waited so long for Outdoor Class!"

Keith ran out of the class and out to Ascension Square. Rhythmi walked over to Lianna and sighed with a smile on her face.

"Did he really say 'Yahoo'? Keith's too pumped up for this. You remember where Ascension Square is, don't you?"

"Yeah, I remember, Rhyth."

Rhythmi smiled and left the room. Lianna left the room soon after Rhythmi and walked to Ascension Square. She saw Rhythmi and Keith there waiting for her.

"Hey, Lianna! What kept you? Outdoor Class is about to get started!"

"I think the Ranger's here already."

"Yeah! There's a gangly Ranger with a giant afro!"

The three friends ran the rest of the way to Ascension Square. They stopped when they came upon the circle of students. Keith was practically bouncing with excitement. He didn't notice it, but he grabbed Lianna's hand in a tight grip.

"Well, it appears as if everyone's with us. Let's get this Outdoor Class started. This is Crawford. He's a graduate of this Ranger School. And now he's a Pokemon Ranger in Vientown." Principal Lamont told the students.

"I'm Crawford! Nice to meet you, everyone!"

"Thank you for coming!"

A Budew popped out from behind Crawford, making several of the girls, including Rhythmi, coo at its cuteness.

"This here's my Partner Pokemon, Budew."

A Cherubi, Bellossom, Combee, and a Swellow popped out next.

"And these are my friend Pokemon!"

"Wow, so cool!"

Ms. April stepped forward and smiled at Crawford.

"Hi, Crawford! It's been a long time! But that giant explosion of an afro… I think I liked your hairstyle the way it was before. It makes me nervous to see that kind of jumbled-up outgrowth of anything. But that's enough of that. We're all here, so let's begin! Let's get to Outdoor Class's main event: The Question-&-Answer Session of Terror! Let the questioning begin!"

"Crawford, why did you decide to become a Ranger?" a boy asked.

"Well, it's because I love Pokemon. I wanted to become friends with them. You know, to bond with them. Besides, it's a cool job!"

"That's the same way I feel! I'm glad I asked you!"

"I have a question! What kinds of Pokemon are difficult to capture?" a girl asked.

"Well, speaking only for myself…Psychic and Ghost-group Pokemon, yeah. They have this habit of going poof and disappearing during captures."

"Ghost Pokemon do that?"

"Me! I'm next! My name is Rhythmi! There isn't anything I'd rather do than become an Operator. Do you think I can become one? You can tell I will become one, can't you?"

"I'm only seeing you for the first time ever, so it's not like I know, but… Sure thing! No problemo! You'll be an Operator all right!"

"That's right! Those are the words I wanted to hear! Yes!"

"Rhythmi… Are you maybe confusing our Ranger with a fortune-teller or something? Excuse me, Ranger. How about me? Will I become a Ranger?" Keith asked.

Rhythmi looked over at Keith and Lianna and saw their interlocked hands. She grinned at Lianna, who blushed darkly. Rhythmi crept over and stood next to Lianna. Crawford and Keith were talking still and Rhythmi began quietly whispering to Lianna.

"So, you and Keith, huh?"

"Shush up, Rhythm! Me and Keith aren't anything like that! He doesn't like me that way!"

"Really? Because that grip he has on your hand says something different."

Rhythmi giggled and Lianna put her hand over Rhythmi's mouth. The two turned to Crawford just as he was finishing talking to Keith.

"Uh… Is that right? I'll do the best I can! Um, okay, here's my second question…"

"No fair, Keith! One question each! Ranger Crawford's busy, too! So, on to my question. Have you ever made any mistakes?"

"Mistakes, you ask? That's all there was when I started. Like the time I dumped juice all over my Styler. That was nasty. Or the time I tried to capture a stuffed doll. Oh, and another time, I put on my Ranger uniform on top of my pajamas. Hold up, don't make me say these things!"

The students laughed at Crawford's distressed face. A boy held up his hand and then proceeded with his question.

"What makes you glad that you became a Ranger?"

"I'd have to say the big smiles we get to see after helping people or Pokemon in need."

"I hope I get to see smiles like that soon!"

"That's the spirit! Keep that spirit burning, and you'll be sure to succeed. You know, I'm looking forward to the chance of working with you folks some day. Keep a positive attitude and work hard!"

Crawford looked around and his eyes stopped on Lianna.

"Excuse me, miss."

Lianna looked away from Rhythmi and over to Crawford.

"You look very familiar. Have we met before?"

"Uh, I don't think so…"

"Do you have any older siblings who went here?"

"Yeah, my older sister did."

"And who's your sister?"

"Elita."

Everyone in the group gasped and turned their heads to Lianna.

"You're Elita's sister?"

She nodded and Crawford's face lit up in a smile.

"I remember being in Elita's class. She was the smartest person I've ever met."

Crawford's Styler beeped and he pulled it out.

"_Voicemail! Voicemail! Crawford, do you hear me? It's me, Barlow! There's a Mantine hurt off the eastern shore of School Island. The Mantine apparently ran into a cargo ship. Luana's headed to the School by boat for you. Join up with her, Crawford, and head to the site immediately. We're going to need your help on this one!"_

"Roger, Leader! Principal Lamont! Since the students are so worried, I'll report back on how the mission went. I'm sorry I have to cut the Outdoor Class short like this!"

"There's no need to apologize. Besides, listen. Isn't that your boat?"

A boat pulled up to the dock of School Island. A voice called out to Crawford from the boat.

"Crawford, get on, quickly! We're heading to the site!"

"All right, students keep working at it! Let's meet again somewhere sometime!"

Crawford jumped on to the boat and it sped away from the dock.

"Well, everyone! That was the shortest Outdoor Class ever. But it certainly was the most gripping and realistic of all Outdoor Classes, too. Okay, everyone. Let's return to our classrooms."

All of the students and teachers left Ascension Square except for Keith, Lianna, and Rhythmi. Keith released his hold on Lianna's hand without ever realizing he was holding it.

"You know, I'm getting even more pumped up about becoming a Ranger. I still have 37 questions left, but I think I'm going to find those answers myself!"

"A real Ranger guaranteed that I would become an Operator!"

"There are no guarantees anywhere. You have to grab hold of your dreams and make them come true!"

"You think I don't know that? I'm going to do it. I'll make my dream come true!"

Lianna was ignoring the two of them. She was too busy staring at the Pledge Stone. She knew her sister had stood at that exact spot during her own Outdoor Class.

"I'm not going to lose, either! Not when I have a rival like Lianna! Hey, why don't the three of us make a pledge right now by the Pledge Stone? Let's pledge to each other that we'll make our dreams come true!"

"You bet! I'll pledge to that! What about you, Lianna?"

"Of course! I have to surpass Elita!"

"That's the spirit! Let's get back to class!"

The three ran back to Ms. April's class, laughing the whole way.

_Elita, _

_We had Outdoor Class today! The teacher was a Ranger named Crawford, he said he knows you. Do you remember him? It was a very exciting Outdoor Class. Crawford got called out in the middle to save an injured Mantine and it really showed me how spastic a Ranger's life can be._

_Lianna_


	5. Chapter 5

_Lianna,_

_Your Outdoor Class experience sure sounds more exciting than mine! And yes, I remember Crawford. He was always making jokes, but he kept the class entertained. By the way, Mom, Dad, and Reyna are going to move out there. They're looking for a house now._

_Elita_

"Everyone, your attention, please. Do you remember that Mantine that Crawford went to rescue during our Outdoor Class? The Ranger Union took it in and nursed it back to health. This morning, the Mantine was safely returned to the sea! Now that we're all feeling good about that news, let's get our lesson started. Today, as scheduled, the topic is the teamwork between Rangers and Operators. If there is no trust between a Ranger and the Operator, it's disastrous. Even a simple mission could become impossible to manage. Rangers go where there are no roads to guide them. It's the job of the Operators to light the way for Ranges where no roads exist. Of course, that doesn't literally mean holding a flashlight for Rangers in the field. Operators support Rangers in other ways, like recharging their Stylers. Not only that, Operators provides Rangers with information and advice. The Operators reach out to Rangers all over from the Union's Operation Room. Does anyone know what they call that communication system?"

"Yes! It's called voicemail!" Rhythmi called out.

"Correct! However, your School Styler is not fitted with the voicemail feature. But look here! I have two Stylers with the voicemail feature turned on. We were able to borrow them specially from the Ranger Union. Principal Lamont, who was there on business, had to ask for them himself. We'll use them today to demonstrate the field operations of Rangers. Let's start with Rhythmi as the Operator and Keith doing the Ranger part."

"Ms. April, Keith isn't here yet."

"Oh, you're right… Did Keith sleep in? That's not like him, though. Well, fine, we'll get Lianna to do the Ranger part."

Ms. April grabbed the Stylers from her desk and handed one to Rhythmi and one to Lianna.

"Oh, wow! I can communicate using this! Hello? Can you hear me? This is Rhythmi. Come in, Ranger!"

"Rhyth, we're too close together. I can hear you just fine without the Styler."

"Well, then, we should get farther apart and try again."

Lianna nodded and stood up to leave the room. Mr. Kincaid busted in, making Lianna jump in shock.

"Ms. April, I'm awfully sorry to disrupt your class. There is a small matter about which I would like to speak with Keith."

"Oh, well… Keith is running late today. It's not like him, but…"

"Late, you say… You see, we have a problem on our hands. We had a number of Stylers stored in the staff room. Had, I say. Now the entire lot of them has disappeared. I've already confirmed the innocence of all my students regarding this. But that Keith boy is uncharacteristically absent from class, you say… Perhaps it's taking him time to find a place to 'stash' all those stolen Stylers?"

Rhythmi jumped from her seat and dashed over to Mr. Kincaid.

"Mr. Kincaid! Keith is a prankster, but he's no thief!"

"Oh, do be still! He runs in the hallways, he sneaks into the basement where he's not permitted…"

Mr. Kincaid shot Lianna a look when he said that.

"It's only natural that he should be viewed with suspicion!"

"Mr. Kincaid. Isn't this what you always preach? It's wrong to cast suspicion on others without proof? May I have a little time? I will go look for Keith and your missing Stylers."

The other students stood from their chairs and went over to Ms. April.

"Ms. April, I'll help, too!"

"I'll go look upstairs!"

"I'll look, too!"

Mr. Kincaid looked around at all the students ready to help their friend. Everyone left the room except for Rhythmi and Lianna.

"Lianna! Let's scour the schoolhouse from top to bottom. We have to prove Keith's innocent. If anything comes up: voicemail. Okay?"

Lianna nodded and Rhythmi ran from the room. Lianna followed after her and ran up the stairs. She looked everywhere but didn't see any sign of the Stylers or Keith. The Styler in her pocket beeped and she quickly pulled it out.

"_Voicemail! Voicemail! This is Rhythmi on the ground floor. Please come down to the front door! And hurry!"_

"I'm coming, Rhyth!"

Lianna ran down the stairs and over to the front door. She saw Rhythmi standing there with Janice. She stood by Rhythmi and waited for Janice to start speaking.

"I was getting set to feed the Bidoof in the school yard when I found a Styler. Did either of you drop yours by any chance? Nope, you've got yours on."

Rhythmi turned to Lianna with her eyes sparkling.

"Lianna, we should go look in the school yard. Thanks for that clue, Janice!"

The two girls left the building and began their search outside. While Lianna was searching, she heard Rhythmi call her name.

"Lianna! Over here!"

Lianna ran over and saw Rhythmi standing by a Styler.

"Isn't this one of the Stylers that went missing from the staff room?"

Lianna nodded and picked up the Styler.

"There could be more on the ground. Let's keep looking."

Rhythmi nodded and ran off to keep looking. Lianna walked around and felt her foot hit something. She looked down and saw another Styler.

"Rhythmi! I found another Styler!"

Rhythmi rushed over to Lianna and picked up the Styler. She was about to say something and then stopped. Her head tilted a tiny bit and she held up a hand to keep Lianna from talking.

"I hear voices… Let's go check!"

Lianna and Rhythmi went toward the voices and saw Keith standing by a man in a white coat.

"Keith! What are you doing out here? And who is that man?" Rhythmi said.

"The guy's a stinking thief! He came creeping out of the staff room, so I called out to him. Then, bam! He was off and running!"

The man backed away from Keith and held up his hands.

"Three on one's not fair! I'm scramming! Adios!"

The man turned to run, but he smacked into a tree. A Slakoth fell out and landed on his head.

"I can't see! It's heavy! It hurts! It stinks! Heeeeeeeeeelp!"

Keith started laughing and pointed at the man.

"A Slakoth fell out of the tree! It serves you right! That's what you get for being a thief!"

"Please! I won't do it again! Heeeeeeeeelp!"

Keith turned to Lianna and Rhythmi.

"Let's go. Who cares about a guy like that?"

"What are you saying? It's the Ranger's job to help people in trouble! Lianna! Please! Capture that Slakoth!"

Lianna nodded and stepped forward. Her posture straightened so that it resembled her sister's and she pulled out her Styler. She quickly captured the Slakoth and released it right after.

"Whew… Aah… Fweh… Saved at last… Thank you for saving me, Ranger Girl."

Ms. April stepped forward and stood next to Rhythmi.

"What's going on here? You disappeared as well, so we were looking for you. Oh, and here's Keith! And the Stylers, too!"

"Ms. April, this man is the thief who took the Stylers." Rhythmi said.

"Yeah, why'd you steal our Stylers? Do you know how important they are to us?" Keith asked.

"I…I'm sorry… I've always had this dream of becoming a Ranger. But I grew up without doing anything about it… I had so many other dreams that I wanted to follow, but… I could never decide what I really wanted to do with my life… But the one dream I could never give up was to be a Ranger… I thought, maybe, if I had a Styler, then I could do something about it, but…"

"What are you saying? Please don't make me angry here in front of my students! It doesn't matter how old you are. Even an adult can join our Ranger School. With enough effort, even you can become a Ranger. If you have a dream you can't let go of, it's up to you to make it real."

The man ran over to Ms. April, grabbing her hands.

"T…teacher lady… I also got bewitched when I saw all those Stylers just sitting there… I was only hoping to get one, but I ended up scooping up the whole lot of them…"

Ms. April took her hands from his and stepped back.

"Just like the way it is with you and your dreams… You're greedy, aren't you? You should go home and really think about what you want to do. Why not think about how you could become a Ranger properly?"

The man sighed and looked down.

"I'll do that."

His head shot up with his eyes wide.

"W-W-Wait a second! G-Go home? You'll just let me go home? Without any punishment or anything? T-Teacher lady… I can't believe it…"

**~Later That Same Day~**

"…And so, Keith was trying to catch the thief who made off with the Stylers."

Principal Lamont looked very surprised with Ms. April's story.

"Ah, so that took place in my absence? Well, though the thief got away, I'm quite relieved no one was hurt. Recovering the Stylers is a bonus."

"Keith gets blamed because his everyday conduct is so deplorable..." Mr. Kincaid grumbled.

"I must say, I was impressed by Rhythmi's belief in her friend. That could be the most essential quality in an Operator."

Rhythmi blushed and giggled.

"Lianna, your teamwork with Rhythmi and your capture were outstanding. I could tell right away from the big smile on the Slakoth's face."

Lianna smiled and thanked Ms. April.

"Keith. You're much too reckless. You must rely on your colleagues more. There is only so much a Ranger can do all alone. I think one day, you will be faced with a situation that makes you accept that. That said… There's no denying you did a good deed. Are you paying attention?"

"That thief didn't get away… We actually let him go…" Keith muttered.

He sighed and turned to Rhythmi.

"Rhythmi, listen up. You understand, don't you? The rotten way I feel about this. But, hey, Rhythmi… You believed in me and stood up for me. That really made me happy."

Lianna noticed that he said nothing to her, which made her frown a bit. Principal Lamont stepped forward with a smile on his face.

"Like the thief today, perhaps there are shadows always lurking in all of our hearts. What's important is to never give in to that darkness in our hearts. It is written in the books of our library… In the Almia region, there is an ancient word: 'vatonage.' It means 'to reawaken light that has been submerged in darkness.' Vatonage… Today, you all shine with the brilliance of gems. May you never lose that shine. Oh, my, I have rambled on. I believe it's time people returned to their classes."

That night, Lianna sat down at the table in the dorm and began writing to Elita.

_Elita, _

_Today was so crazy. Someone stole the Stylers that were in the staff room. Mr. Kincaid had the crazy idea that Keith did it, even though Keith would never do something like that. He's too nice. Rhythmi and I got to use real Stylers to communicate with that voicemail thing. It was pretty cool. Well, we found the thief. It was some guy who wanted to be a Ranger. We got the Stylers back and Ms. April sent the thief home. Keith wasn't too happy about that. I guess I'm not either. It doesn't feel like he got what he deserved. However, you always talk about karma, so I guess I shouldn't care so much about it, huh? Well, the year is slowly coming to a close, and I can't wait to become a real Ranger! Tell Reyna I love her!_

_Lianna_


	6. Chapter 6

_Lianna, _

_Well, you're right. Don't worry too much about the man who stole the Stylers. It doesn't really matter. He probably already knows that what he did was wrong, and I'm sure that his punishment is having none at all. Oh, and I have some good news for you. Mom, Dad, and Reyna are moving to a place called Chicole Village. Have you heard of it? By the way, Chris says hi. He says he misses talking with you, and he wants you to write to him. I don't know what you two would possibly talk about. He never speaks at all._

_Elita_

"Today, you will finally be going on your 1-day internships. You will get to experience what it's like to be a real Ranger, Operator, or Mechanic. For that, you will have to go out to the facilities that you've signed up for. Don't take any side trips on the way. And please be careful."

Ms. April walked over to Lianna and Keith.

"Lianna and Keith, you two are off to the Ranger Base in Vientown. That's where Crawford is. He's the Ranger who left our Outdoor Class to go rescue a Mantine, remember?"

Ms. April walked away and Lianna and Keith stood up to leave the room. Rhythmi walked over with a smile on her face.

"I'm trying out to become an Operator, so I'm going off to the Ranger Union. Oh, that reminds me. Today's newspaper had a special feature on the Ranger Union!"

Rhythmi handed Lianna a newspaper that had **The Almia Times **written on the front. There was a picture of Chairperson Erma. Next to it was a picture of the command center.

"The Ranger Union's really far from here. I'd better leave soon. See you this evening."

Rhythmi left the room and Keith turned to Lianna.

"Come on, Lianna. Let's go to Vientown."

They left the building and walked to the area that they found the thief in.

"Heeeelp meeeeee!"

They ran over to a tree and saw a man trying to climb up.

"Hey, it's Little Tim. Playing hide-and-seek with some Bidoof?"

"No, that's not it! Can't you tell by what you're seeing? These B-B-Bi-Bidoof are attacking me!"

The two Bidoof jumped around the tree that Little Tim was clinging to.

"Listen to them! 'Bidoof, Bidoof!' They're going to maul me, I can tell!"

"No, Little Tim, I think the Bidoof just want to play." Keith told him.

"Sure, boy, that's easy for you to say. But I won't deny it. I'm scared, even deathly a-scared of Pokemon!"

"Awww, but these Bidoof are so cute…" Lianna cooed.

"Lianna, have you ever met Little Tim? He's the milkman around here. He's seriously afraid of Pokemon, but they seem to like him. I'm suspecting it's the smell of milk that makes him a Pokemon magnet. Anyway…a Pokemon Ranger always steps up to lend a helping hand. These Bidoof seem kind of agitated, though. They might be a bit tough. Let's split up. You capture one, and I'll get the other!"

Lianna nodded and she went to capture a Bidoof. Keith and Lianna both finished at the same time and grinned at each other.

"Little Tim, everything's under control. We've calmed the Bidoof and released them."

Little Tim climbed out of the tree and smiled nervously at Keith and Lianna.

"That scared me a-plenty. I was good and scared, but I was saved. I was saved, but I'm still good and scared. But I owe both of you a big thanks. Those Bidoof were out to maul me. By the way…this here student seems to be a new face to me."

"This is Lianna, who came from Fiore. Lianna's awesome at doing captures. Second only to me, even."

Lianna lightly pushed him and he pushed her back.

"Oh, a new student, you say? Well, my new friend, thank you ever so kindly for saving me. I run a small dairy farm with my family in a town called Vientown. You should come calling one day. Our young'uns will be happy if you visited."

"Little Tim's got a bunch of kids. His wife's famous around here, too."

"I surely won't forget you saving me. You'll make fine Rangers, I'm sure of that!"

Little Tim ran off back to his home. Keith went over to Lianna looking nervous.

"We're running late. Let's hurry to Vientown!"

They were about to go through the gate when Ms. April walked over to them.

"Lianna! Keith! You helped Little Tim with captures, I've heard. And, instead of competing like usual, you even cooperated with each other. That's how real Rangers would act. Now, keep your chins up and off you go to Vientown as if you were real Rangers!"

They both nodded and Keith ran off. Lianna was about to say something to Ms. April, but Keith came back and grabbed her hand, pulling her away. He was dragging her across the bridge that led away from School Island when they saw a little blond girl. Lianna pulled her hand away from Keith and went over to the little girl.

"I came to see him, but…"

"Who's that little girl?" Keith asked.

"Hi, there, honey. What's wrong?" Lianna asked the little girl.

"My big brother… He's not here."

"Your big brother, huh? Well, I'll tell you what, I'm going to stay right here with you until your brother gets here, okay?"

The little girl smiled and hugged Lianna. Someone walked up behind them and peered down at the little girl.

"Hi, what's going on?"

Someone else walked up and pushed through to stand next to Lianna.

"Melody? Melody, it is you!"

"Hi, Isaac! I came to meet you!"

Melody ran over and hugged Isaac.

"Melody! I told you not to. Didn't I say you're not allowed to leave Pueltown by yourself?"

"I'm sorry! I just wanted to see you…"

"Melody… You're still a little kid. That's why I worry about you so much. Well, let me introduce you to my friends. This is my sister Melody."

"I'm Ponte! This is Keith and Lianna. Nice to meet you, Melody."

"Melody? I'm not angry with you anymore. Thanks for coming to meet me. We'll go back together."

"Yep! Bye bye, Big Brother's friends! Bye bye, Big Sister!"

"Big Sister?" Lianna questioned.

"We have to get moving, too. We'll look bad if we show up late. I think Vientown's off to the west."

They both ran to Vientown and went to the Ranger Base.

"Oh, wow, my heart's starting to pound. How are you feeling?"

"Kinda nervous, but super excited!"

Lianna went in first, followed by Keith.

"It's awfully quiet… Isn't there anyone here? Hello? We're here from the Ranger School! We're Keith and Lianna!"

"Oh, I'm sorry! I had to duck down for something, so I didn't see you come in. You must be the students for the 1-day internship. I have something here for you. Over here, please."

Keith and Lianna went over to the Operator behind the desk and she set something down on top of her desk.

"Are you surprised by how quiet our Ranger Base is? Everyone had to go out to handle a critical mission."

"Everyone had to go out on it? It must be one whopper of a crisis!"

"Yes. Yes, it is. Some Bidoof… Oh, no, I can't force myself to say it! But, anyway, I think I know who you are. Lianna and Keith from the School. We've been told you were coming. Our Leader left me a letter for you. Let me read it to you. 'Welcome to the both of you! Here's a mission from the get-go! I've left an extremely important parcel with our Operator. Collect it from her, and bring it to Breeze Hill, which is west of the town.' That's it for the letter. It have the extremely important parcel right here for you. Please don't tip it on its side. And never, ever flip it upside down. Here it is. Please do treat it with care!"

Lianna grabbed the parcel from the Operator and held it tight.

"To get to Breeze Hill, go west when you leave the building. You'll need to turn and go toward the beach. Keep going past the beach until you come to the sign and stairs for Breeze Hill."

The two left the Ranger Base and stood outside the building.

"Wow, we were assigned a mission right from the start. If we succeed, we could make it into tomorrow's newspaper, I bet."

"I don't know that we'd make it into the paper, but I bet the Rangers would want to work with us later, after we graduate."

They followed the directions the Operator gave them and came up to the beach.

"This is beautiful! The water's so blue!" Lianna exclaimed.

Keith smiled at her bright eyes and excited expression. They were leaving the beach when they saw an elderly man with a Pachirisu, a Larvitar, and a Munchlax.

"Ah, Pachirisu, Pachirisu. So cute, so cute. What's wrong? What's wrong, Munchlax? You're not saying you're hungry already? Ah, Pachirisu, Pachirisu. Go on, eat up all you like."

The three Pokemon went over to their owner, ready for food. The man saw Lianna and Keith and turned all of his attention to them.

"The way you're dressed tells me you're students of the Ranger School, yes? On 1-day internship, I would guess. Well, then, let me give you a quick quiz that you'll find enlightening. Here's my first question. What is a Partner Pokemon?"

"Oh, that's an easy one. A Partner Pokemon is an especially friendly Pokemon that always goes with a Ranger." Lianna answered.

"Ding-ding! Correct! The Rangers I know all said they met their first Partners here at Nabiki Beach. Very well! Question two! A Ranger can only have one Pokemon as the one-and-only Partner?"

Keith answered that question.

"Nope! That's not true!"

"Ding-ding! Right again! A Ranger will get opportunities to add the second partner and more as time goes on. But, you can still only have one Partner accompany you at any one time. The other Partner Pokemon must remain patient and remain at home. It was nice chatting with you, kids. Now, run along and finish your mission."

Lianna and Keith ran off and found the stairs that led to Breeze Hill. Lianna was about to rush up the stairs, but Keith grabbed her hand to make her stop.

"Breeze Hill's just up these stairs. I wonder what kind of critical mission's going on up there… Even I'm starting to feel kind of nervous."

Lianna smiled at him and took her hand from his.

"Keith, don't be nervous. You're a great Ranger. Trust me; you're going to be fine."

They both went up the stairs leading to Breeze Hill and saw a group of rangers.

"Oh, hey! Rangers! There's Ranger Crawford from our Outdoor Class! So, what do we do? Just go up and introduce ourselves, right?"

"Yes, Keith, we go introduce ourselves."

Keith walked up, shaking like a leaf. Lianna put a hand on his shoulder to try and calm him down.

"He-Hellomeetcha!"

Lianna took her hand from Keith's shoulder and covered her mouth, stifling her laughter.

"Did I just hear you say 'Hellomeetcha'? You nervous? Well, that's not hard to understand. This is, after all, a key mission. So… The extremely important parcel. I fully expect it to be safe. Hand it over, but be gentle. One careless shake and it's ka-plow."

Lianna gave the man the parcel and took her place beside Keith. She was giggling slightly, which Keith heard. He pushed her and she pushed back.

"All right, people! Gather 'round! Lunch's here!"

Both Keith's and Lianna's jaws dropped at the announcement.

"I was getting impatient for this!"

"Hahahaha. Oh, the stunned looks on your faces! Remember me? I'm Crawford. Like, Crawford from your Outdoor Class."

"How could we forget that crazy afro?" Lianna asked.

She had lost her shocked expression and replaced it with a sarcastic smile. Crawford grinned at her and walked over.

"You seem different. Not as shy, I think is what it is. Am I right?"

"Yeah, you're right. Being around Keith and Rhythmi helped a lot with that. By the way, I talk to Elita. She said she remembers you being in her class."

Crawford blushed a little and went to sit beside a girl with black hair. The man Lianna gave the parcel to was sitting at the front of the group with a Makuhita next to him.

"Good work, the both of you. This mission's cleared! The name's Barlow. I'm the Leader of this Ranger Base. This is my Partner Pokemon, Makuhita. Oh, there's another thing… This prank isn't my doing. Crawford there thought it up."

"That's not fair, Leader! You're the one who was going on about what a great idea it was."

"Hi, I'm Luana. I fell for the same 'gotcha' prank a year ago. But in my case, the lunches were all mushed up from me swinging the parcel around! I'm pleased to meet you! This Buneary is my Partner Pokemon. Isn't she a cutie?"

Lianna saw the Buneary and rushed over. She sat down and hugged it.

"She's so adorable!"

"I'm not a Ranger. I'm a Mechanic. My name's Elaine, but don't worry if you can't learn all these names at once."

"Uh, um, I'm Keith! And this is Lianna! We're, uh, reporting for 1-day internship duty! And, uh, I wish I could have a Partner Pokemon of my own one day!"

"Oh? Starting to feel at ease now? Sorry for tricking you two like that. It's become a tradition for us." Barlow said.

"That's enough with the introductions. Leader, let's feast on the extremely important parcel they kindly delivered." Crawford said.

"Yes, I'm famished!" Luana yelled.

"Then let's get right down to it. Welcome to our trainee-welcoming lunch!" Barlow exclaimed.

"Wow, the food even looks delicious. It's not like last year's." Elaine told them.

"I'm sure glad to hear that!"

Everyone began eating and laughing. Barlow was telling stories from when Luana first became a Ranger. Crawford was making jokes and Lianna was doing the same thing. Keith was still nervous, but he was beginning to calm down.

"Help! Rangers! Po-Pokemon have gone wild!"

Barlow jumped up and ran over to the boy who ran up.

"What seems to be the matter?"

"We were down on the beach when the Pokemon there started acting mean! They've surrounded my girlfriend and won't let her go!"

"Okay, I get the picture. We'll handle it from here. It's an emergency mission! We're taking a break from lunch! To Nabiki Beach! Move it! Lianna, Keith, you come, too!"

"Roger!"

Everyone abandoned the lunch and ran down to Nabiki Beach, ready to help.


	7. Chapter 7

Lianna and Keith rushed down to the beach behind the Rangers. Everyone stopped short when they saw the panicked girl on the beach. Pokemon were circling her while turning around.

"We have to clear this mess up!" Barlow said.

"What happened to these Pokemon anyway?" Crawford asked.

"They look like they could be dancing…" Elaine muttered.

"They're friendly and docile usually! They're not like themselves!" the owner of the Starly, Pachirisu, and Munchlax said.

"Please! Do something! Hurry!" the girl on the beach yelled.

"Okay, people, listen up! Crawford and I'll capture the Shellos! Luana, Keith, and Lianna! You three catch the other Pokemon! Keith and Lianna, capture your targets just like you learned at school!"

Everyone rushed down to the beach, but the owner of the Starly, Pachirisu, and Munchlax stopped Lianna.

"They're good Pokemon, really. I don't know what's gotten into them. Pachirisu, Munchlax, and Starly… They're all adorable and reliable, too. Why, if I were a Ranger, I'd be honored to have them all as my Partner Pokemon. Yes, indeed, they're that good! I beg you, please calm them down."

"Don't worry, sir. We'll calm down your Pokemon."

Lianna saw that Keith captured the Pachirisu and Luana was working on the Munchlax. She shrugged and captured the Starly. Everyone finished their captures quickly and the Pokemon were calmed down.

"How's it going, people? Your captures successful?" Barlow asked.

"You bet, Leader! How about you, Luana?" Crawford said.

"I got hung up a little at the start, but I managed. How about the students?"

Keith looked over at Lianna and Starly, then down at the Pachirisu he captured.

"We students succeeded with our captures, too!" Keith told her.

"There appears to be no injuries to the Pokemon or people." Elaine told Barlow.

"Good work, people! The Pokemon seem to have calmed down, too. They're good to go. Let's release them."

Everyone released the Pokemon they caught and turned to the boy who first brought them down.

"Thanks for saving my girlfriend!"

He walked over to his girlfriend and hugged her.

"I'm so happy you're safe."

Keith walked over to Lianna and placed an arm around her. She blushed and looked away.

"Pretty crazy day, huh?"

Lianna nodded and looked around. Barlow walked over to the two Ranger students.

"Well, we're done here. You two head back to the Base. We'll clean up the sandwiches as a way of apologizing for the prank."

The two nodded and started heading to the Base.

"I can't wait to tell Elita about this. Her 1-day Internship was so boring! At least, that's what she told me."

"You know, I'm really happy that Rhythmi and I managed to break you out of your shell."

"Why?"

"You're so much more…fun and talkative. I like you better this way."

Just to tease him, Lianna moved closer to his side.

"You didn't like me before?"

Keith's face turned red and he began stammering and stuttering.

"Uh…w-well, I uh…O-Of course I liked you!"

When he saw Lianna's cheeks turn pink, he fully realized what he said.

"O-Only as a friend, th-though!"

He saw her face fall the tiniest bit and his hope started rising.

"Why the sad face?"

"No reason."

He noticed how she wasn't looking at him, which made him smile.

"Really? Why won't you look at me?"

He managed to catch a glimpse of her face and saw it was bright red.

"Uh, because…"

Keith pulled her off the path and over to some trees.

"Lianna, tell me the truth."

"We have to get back to-"

"Or we can say we took a wrong turn. There's something I have to know."

The two sat down and Lianna looked up at him.

"What do you want to know?" she asked.

"I want to know how you feel about me."

"You're my best friend. You and Rhythmi."

"That's all? Because, lately I've been getting the feeling that you might like me a bit more than that."

Lianna blushed and looked at the ground.

"What made you think that?"

"That day a few weeks ago when you almost kissed me."

Lianna's head snapped up so that her eyes met his.

"Correction, Keith. _You _almost kissed _me_."

Keith leaned back against the tree he was sitting in front of.

"Well, then I guess I should have said 'You didn't fight it when we almost kissed a few weeks ago.'"

Lianna looked up at the sky and fell back onto the ground.

"Lianna, do you know why I tried to kiss you?"

She shook her head, making Keith smile.

"I can't believe you don't get it."

Lianna sat back up.

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it, Lianna. What does it usually mean when a guy goes to kiss a girl?"

He could see it running through her head, and then a bright red blush took over her face.

"Do you get it now?"

Lianna nodded and looked at him.

"Does that mean you…like me?"

Keith nodded and moved closer to her.

"That's exactly what that means."

He planted a short, sweet kiss on her lips and stood back up. He held out a hand and pulled her to her feet. She was blushing even more than she had been, and it got worse when he put his arm around her.

"Lianna, tell me. How do you feel about me?"

"I…I really like you, Keith."

The two continued walking to the Base. Once they got there, they went inside and saw Barlow standing there.

"Hey, you two! What took you so long?"

"We took a wrong turn." Keith said.

Barlow laughed.

"Well, that's no problem. Everything has been cleaned up and put away. Your 1-day Internships are done. It was great meeting the two of you."

They both nodded and went back to the School. Keith's arm moved from Lianna's shoulders to her waist.

"So, Lianna, I have something to ask you."

"What is it?"

"Yoo-hoo! Wannabe Rangers!"

The two turned around and saw Rhythmi running over.

"Hey! How was your day?"

"As soon as we got there we were assigned a mission." Keith told her.

"What was it?"

"Sorry, Rhyth. It was top secret. We can't give out any details." Lianna said.

Keith tightened his grip on her, pulling her closer. Rhythmi pretended not to notice.

"Fine then! I had a pretty good day, too. Except Professor Hastings kept calling me Misery for some reason."

Rhythmi shrugged and looked at her watch.

"We better get back to the School."

All three walked back. As soon as they were inside the building, Rhythmi grabbed Lianna's wrist and pulled her to their room.

"Lianna, what was up with Keith today?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, when you guys turned around, he looked kinda annoyed with me. Did I interrupt something?"

When Lianna blushed, Rhythmi squealed.

"Tell me everything that happened today!"

"Well, Keith told me he likes me, he kissed me, I told him I like him. On the bridge, he said he was gonna ask me something, but you walked over, so he couldn't."

"Oh, I'm sorry!"

"It's fine, Rhyth."

"But he was gonna ask you to be his girlfriend! And I interrupted!"

"Rhythmi, it's fine. I know Keith. He'll ask me tomorrow."

Rhythmi nodded.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I better get some sleep. Tomorrow is graduation! I want to be well rested!"

Lianna nodded.

"Yeah, me, too. Good night, Rhythmi."

"Good night, Lianna."


	8. Chapter 8

"Well, class, this is it. This will be the last time I speak to you like this in our classroom… Yes, today is the Ranger School's graduation day. I imagine you all have lots to talk about before the ceremony, so this is free time. Feel free to visit other rooms and say your good-byes. But remember, when you hear the bell, be sure to gather in the main hall."

"We will!"

Keith and Lianna immediately turned in their chairs so that they faced each other. Lianna had a smile on her face, while Keith was frowning.

"Lianna, don't hate me for what I'm about to say. But, I've been assigned to Fiore, and you're going to Vientown. We're gonna be so far away from each other, and I don't think our relationship should go any farther until we see each other again.

Lianna's face dropped and Keith winced at her expression. He hated it when Lianna was sad.

"You're…going to Fiore?"

Keith sighed and nodded. He kept his eyes away from Lianna's face, to keep from seeing her depressed expression. He felt Lianna's arms around his neck and immediately wrapped her in a hug. He felt awful when he felt his shoulder become wet with Lianna's tears.

"I'm gonna miss you, Keith."

"I'll miss you, too, Lianna. But, I promise that when we see each other again-"

"What if we don't?"

Keith kissed her cheek.

"Lianna, I promise you that we _will _see each other again. Okay?"

She moved so she could see his face and nodded. He smiled at her and she managed to return one. Footsteps were approaching and Keith moved away from Lianna. She stood and turned, seeing Rhythmi behind her.

"Hey, Rhyth."

"Lianna, I have something to tell you… For the next while, I'm going to be stationed in Fiore, too. That's where I'll be in training as an Operator."

Lianna's expression fell once more. Rhythmi immediately hugged her. Lianna returned it.

"I'm gonna miss you, Rhyth."

"Me, too, Lianna."

Rhythmi noticed that Lianna had stopped crying, which made her feel a bit better. Keith walked over and wrapped his arms around her waist. Her back was pressed against his chest and he rested his chin on her shoulder.

"Hey, Lianna, I'm gonna go say bye to Kasey." Rhythmi said.

Lianna nodded and Rhythmi left the room. Keith turned her around and kissed her forehead.

"Hey, I'm gonna go walk around. You wanna come with?

"Actually, I think I'm gonna head to Ascension Square. I need to think."

Keith nodded and left the room. Lianna followed soon after and went outside. She went to Ascension Square and sat by the Pledge Stone.

"I can't believe they're leaving…"

She looked around and sighed.

"I wonder if I could get to the beach and back before the bell."

She stood up and walked to Nabiki Beach. On the beach, she saw an Aggron and a Tyranitar. The two large Pokemon turned around and saw her. The Aggron started walking over. Lianna pulled out her Styler and captured it. The Tyranitar walked over next. She captured it as well. When she tried to release them, they wouldn't leave.

"Elita said this happened when she captured her Skarmory… Maybe these Pokemon got attached to me."

She looked up at them and saw them both looking at her with adoring eyes.

"They're actually kinda cute…"

Both Pokemon hugged her, squeezing all the air out of her.

"Okay, guys! Can't breathe!"

They let her go and smiled apologetically.

"Guys, I hate to say this, but I can't let you stay with me. At least, not yet. I'm only a student. I'm not allowed to have a Partner Pokemon, and Rangers can't have two Partner Pokemon with them. I'm sorry. But I promise that when I become a Ranger, I'll come find you two, and I'll make you my Partner Pokemon."

The two nodded and walked away. Lianna looked at her watch and went back to the School. She saw Keith standing at the front door. Once he saw her, he rushed over.

"Come on! The bell just rang! We gotta get to the ceremony!"

**~Graduation Ceremony~**

Lianna was sitting between Keith and Isaac. Keith had his arm around Lianna and was listening intently to Principal Lamont.

"Congratulations, graduates! I am truly delighted that I can be here to greet this day with all of you. Rangers, Operators, and Mechanics. Though these paths may take you in different directions, what I hope for all of you is but the same. Don't worry, I'm not going to say something impossibly difficult or challenging. 'Please don't forget to smile.' That is all I wish of you. With these words, I wish you the very best of luck."

Principal Lamont stepped back and Mr. Kincaid took his place.

"Thank you, Principal Lamont. Next, let me call upon this graduating class's valedictorian. That would be our best student, Isaac."

Lianna turned to Isaac and smiled. He blushed slightly when he felt her hand on his shoulder.

"Congratulations, Isaac!"

"Thanks, Lianna."

Isaac stepped forward, looking slightly nervous.

"Today, we leave the shelter of this place of learning and nurturing. It is a giant step for us in our pursuits of our long-held dreams. To the teachers who inspired us… To Janice, who was mother to us all… To all the Pokemon that loved us… And to all the books of the library…! We will never forget. Thank you so very, very much from all of us!"

Isaac took his seat next to Lianna and let out a relieved sigh.

"Isaac, thank you for those most moving words. Next, the conferring of the graduation certificates." Mr. Kincaid said.

Ms. April stepped forward with a giant smile on her face.

"I would like to call upon one student as the representative of the graduating class. Lianna. Step forward, please."

Lianna's eyes widened at the announcement. Keith's arm squeezed her shoulders in a hug. Lianna stood up and walked to Principal Lamont. Just as she reached him, an explosion rocked the school.

"What was that? An explosion?" Keith yelled.

"That noise came from the basement!" Rhythmi said.

"Everyone, keep calm!" Ms. April commanded.

Mr. Kincaid walked over to Principal Lamont.

"I…I'll go see what that was!"

He walked down to his lab in the basement and yelled shortly after.

"Waah! Stop! Stop that!

Two Tangrowth rushed up the stairs. Lianna squeezed between them and ran over to Keith. As the two Tangrowth moved toward the students, everyone moved back. Keith turned to Lianna with a determined look on his face.

"Lianna, let's capture these things!"

Lianna nodded and ran forward.

"Take the one on the left, Lianna! I'll get the one on the right!"

The two students captured the two Tangrowth and calmed them down, releasing them after. Rhythmi walked over to them with a smile on her face.

"You two are awesome!"

Lianna and Keith grinned at each other. All of the students went back and took their seats. Mr. Kincaid came up from the basement and went over to Principal Lamont.

"Mr. Kincaid! You're not hurt, are you?"

"I…I think… Yes, yes. I'm fine. I must admit, even I couldn't tell what on earth was happening…"

"Ah, so even Mr. Kincaid is at a loss to why those Tangrowth rampaged… That is a shame. Still, everyone seems to be safe. That certainly is a great relief. Well, shall we continue with our graduation ceremony?"

Mr. Kincaid went back to his seat, still looking slightly scared. Ms. April stepped forward with a tiny smile on her face.

"Well, um, allow me to call on the representative of the graduating class. Lianna, let's try again. Step forward, please."

Lianna walked over to Principal Lamont and he smiled at her.

"Elita was also the representative. I know she'd be proud of you." Principal Lamont whispered.

He stood straight up and looked at her and Keith.

"Lianna and Keith. Thank you for coming to the protection of everyone! It was very impressive to see you calmly go about your captures with no panic. You've provided everyone with a good example of taking charge in a crisis. Now, as representative of the graduating class, I confer you this certificate."

Principal Lamont handed her the certificate and she went back to her seat. Keith's arm took its place around her shoulders and she leaned against him. Principal Lamont began speaking once more.

"And finally… The time has come for all of you to set sail into the vast horizon that is your future. In closing, I will say this once again: 'Please don't forget to smile.' Congratulations, grads!"

All of the students cheered and stood out of their chairs. All of their families went over to them and hugged them. Lianna looked around and saw her parents and little sister. She ran over to them and hugged all three of them.

"Hi, Momma! Hi, Daddy! Hi, Reyna!"

She released all of them and smiled.

"I'm so glad you guys could make it!"

"Lianna, we moved to our new house in Chicole Village! You don't have to write any more letters to me!"

Lianna's smile grew as Reyna hugged her again.

"I've missed you, Big Sister!"

"I've missed you, too, Reyna."

Lianna heard gasps and she turned around to see what the cause was. What she saw made her gasp.

"Elita?"

Elita smiled, letting emotion show on her usually un-emotional face. Lianna rushed forward and hugged her older sister. When she released her, she stepped back with a confused expression.

"I thought you couldn't make it?"

"I wanted to surprise you! I stayed the night with Mom and Dad."

"Is Chris here?"

Lianna was talking about Silent Chris. Chris was basically Elita's second in command. He never talked, and he only told Lianna why he was so silent. The two knew everything about each other. He was her walking diary, and vice versa.

"Yeah, he's other there."

Lianna saw him and smiled, running over. She hugged him and her smile grew.

"Chris, I haven't seen you in so long! How are things?"

"Better than ever."

"Have you told Elita yet?"

Chris blushed and looked down, shaking his head.

"Why not?"

"Too shy…"

Lianna sighed.

"Chris, I told you, she feels the same way about you! Trust me! Now, go tell her!"

She pushed Chris toward Elita and smiled when she saw the two talking. She looked away from the two when someone's arms wrapped around her waist.

"Hey, Keith."

She turned around and hugged him. Someone grabbed her leg and she looked down.

"Reyna!"

Keith let go of her and looked down as well. He smiled when he saw Lianna's little sister. He kneeled down so that he was eye level with Reyna.

"Hey there. My name's Keith."

"I'm Reyna! Are you Big Sister's boyfriend?"

Lianna blushed fiercely. Keith just laughed.

"Reyna!"

"It's just a question, Big Sister."

Her parents walked over and saw Keith.

"Hi. I'm Lianna's mother, Amanda. This is my husband, Oliver."

Keith stood back and shook Lianna's father's hand.

"I'm Keith."

Keith pulled Lianna closer to him and her mother smiled.

"You two are so cute."

Lianna's face turned bright red.

"Mo-om!"

"What? It's true!"

Keith laughed and looked out the window. His face fell and he looked back at Lianna.

"The Staraptor taking me to Fiore is here. I gotta go."

Lianna nodded and hugged him.

"Can I walk out with you?"

"Of course."

The two walked outside and stopped beside the Staraptor.

"Don't worry, Lianna. I swear to you that we'll see each other again."

"I know."

He kissed her cheek and climbed on the back of the Staraptor. The flying-type flew away and Lianna sat on the ground.

"I'll miss you, Keith."


End file.
